Bosch has commissioned 5 MW of solar projects in its factories across India using GoodWe’s solar inverters.

GoodWe Power Supply Technology is a solar inverter manufacturing company with its head office in China. Nearly 69 inverters of 60 kW and 15 of 50 KW have been used to power these projects, the company noted in a statement. Bosch also commissioned a 1 MW project with bifacial photovoltaic modules equipped with GoodWe inverters.

“These projects were blended over rooftops and grounds of Bosch’s production factories which are set to reap the benefits of cleaner energy for the masses, which means lower carbon footprint and a much diverse energy portfolio,” added the company.

Speaking on the occasion, James Hou, head of sales for India and Southeast Asian (SEA) region, said that in the past three years, GoodWe has worked with some of India’s leading engineering, procurement, and construction companies, and developers on projects ranging from 5 MW to 20 MW.

A senior executive of GoodWe told Mercom that the company has a full-fledged 1 kW to 80 kW power capacity inverters in its product basket.

Asked about the solar inverter market trends, he said, “With a lot of challenges coming up day by day like reduced bid costs to below ₹3 (~$0.04)/kWh, effects of Coronavirus and increasing exchange rates of dollars, it is tough to tackle the solar market unless the company is strong in R&D. Price war can only be tackled with technology advancements. GoodWe spends a huge amount on its R&D and is backed by technology experts in the solar inverter industry. The solar inverter market still has a huge potential, and GoodWe is well set to support its customers with best-performing inverters.”

In the first half of 2019, the top five solar inverter manufacturers in China accounted for 36.44% of inverter exports globally from China. Huawei, Sungrow, Solis, Goodwe, and Growatt came out as the top five inverter companies in China in 1H 2019.

India has significant potential to generate solar energy, thanks to high solar irradiation in most parts of the country. The hurdles mostly lie in the market and policy environment. These issues are rampant across the supply chain, and the solar inverter market is no exception.

Solar inverters are considered as the “heart of solar photovoltaic systems” as they are a vital component in solar power generation. Mercom has written about the struggles of solar inverter manufacturers in gaining clarity on the ambiguous BIS certification process. Through several interviews with inverter suppliers, Mercom found out that the cost of BIS certification is also a cause of concern for the inverter suppliers apart from the time-taking process.

Meanwhile, in January 2020, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a notification stating that the deadline for the self-certification of solar inverters has once again been extended by six months from December 31, 2019, to June 30, 2020.

Image credit: GoodWe

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.